The Legend of Eva Bludvist
by Keytripper
Summary: When Hiccup Haddock, now chief of Berk, hears of another Bludvist, a young woman who has killed both people and dragons alike, he puts a price on her head. What Hiccup doesn't realize is that he's not the only one looking for her, and there may be third parties in line for a little revenge.
1. Chapter 1

**12 years ago**

Fagnar didn't particularly like killing people, but traitors like this one had to be punished.

He had spent several months tracking this man down, along with his family. And now, he was going to pay for his crimes against the hunter tribe.

He had the man and his family dragged out on the ship's deck. He hadn't hurt them yet, but still the traitor was loudly cursing his men for daring to so much as touch his wife and daughter. His two sons had already been beaten nearly to death for trying to escape earlier that morning. For such a hopeless family, they were persistent, he had to give them that.

When he came forward with his sword, the man glared him down, before dropping his head. "_Please_," he begged. "Do what you will to me, but let my wife and children go. They have done nothing to the hunter tribe."

Fagnar smiled, before holding his sword to the wife's neck. She didn't say anything, but he could see her utter hatred in her eyes, nearly covered by her messy blond hair. "You are right. They have done nothing. But what pleasure that would give you to know that your lover survived? That would be no punishment at all." He pressed on the blade, embedding it into the woman's chest. The man cried out more curses between wales. Next Fagnar approached his sons.

"Please.."

The two boys fell to the ground, adding to the pool of blood left by their mother.

"You will die for this!" The man raged. "Oden send you to burn! One day someone will laugh over your corpse."

Fagnar was not used to being insulted. A comment like this from his own men would result in death. So in a bout of anger, he plunged the sword into his gut, slowly pressing on the blade as the man cried out in pain and anguish. "Then at least I will die with honor," he sneered.

His men began to throw the bodies overboard. Sheathing his sword, Fagnar sighed, prepared to go and retire after a good days work. His chief would certainly great him with honor when they returned, and he had a great feast to look forward to. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crying. Turning, he saw a little girl, no more than four or five years old.

_Great._ He'd been so angered by the traitor that he forgot to kill his daughter first. There was no point in killing her now. He crouched down to her level. "What's your name?" He asked harshly.

The girl sniffled, wiping her tears away. "Eva."

He hadn't expected a response, but this girl was strong, just like her family had been. _What to do with her.._ Perhaps she could be cared for back on the island, but as she is a child of a traitor, that made her just as horrid. No one would raise her as their own. If she lived, she would be no more than a thrall.

Perhaps it would be nice having someone on board to serve them. He smiled at the idea. And maybe one day, when the girl was older, she could serve a much different purpose to him and his men.

* * *

**Present Day**

The string was taught under my fingers as I slowly pulled back, breathing slowly as I eyed the squirrel in the tree a ways away. It hadn't so much as noticed me as it gnawed on a nut, oblivious to the careful way in which I positioned my bow. I prepared to lose the arrow, when suddenly I heard a loud squawk, and the critter darted out of my line of sight.

"Aaron!" I shouted as a blue and red Deadly Nadder nearly knocked me over. Nudging my chest with his head, he flapped his wings in an excited manner. _No, I can't play right now you stupid beast, I was getting dinner!_ I looked back to the tree, but there was no sign of the squirrel. _ Guess I'm having fish again_. I didn't know what I had been expecting. I had killed nearly everything that moved on this tiny island; after two months there was hardly anything left to eat.

Aaron had been more and more antsy lately. Perhaps it was just because he was a lot more social than I was. Every dragon that came through he became instant bffs with. I could see how much it pained him when they left, and he stayed with me.

I met him just before coming to this island. I had been trying to kill a monstrous nightmare, but it had broken free from the snares. I had killed dragons in this way before, when they were at their best. My black dragon-proof leather armor covered almost every inch of me, so I wasn't afraid of a bit of fire. And when it came to fighting, I could easily take down a strong Viking man in several seconds. I had done it before. Dragons? I had been trained to trap and kill them most of my life. One little nightmare didn't stand a chance.

But then, before I could deliver a killing blow.. I started to seize. It wasn't the first time; I had been suffering from seizures for a few years. When I was younger, they led to several failed escape attempts. Now, they were a closely guarded secret. If my enemies knew that I had seizures that would leave me weak for days, then surely they would use it against me. Even Drago recognized this. I couldn't be used to threaten his enemies if they thought I was weak. It was my cold capacity for killing effectively that led Drago's men to refer to me as a Bludvist. No one ever said anything otherwise, so it kind of stuck.

Anyways, after I stopped seizing, I was helpless against the monstrous nightmare, but as it closed in for the kill, a young deadly Nadder swooped in and fought him off, wounding himself in the process. I couldn't believe that a dragon would go out of its way to save the life of someone who trapped and killed dragons for a living. I managed to drag myself to a cave, and nursed us both back to health to repay this debt. Aaron and I have been together ever since.

When I was well enough to leave the cave, I saw that the hunter ship had left without me. _That's funny_, I thought. They were supposed to be here for another week at least. Over the next couple weeks, Aaron and I learned to get along, and to fly together. As soon as I was able, we flew to a nearby trading post. There I learned that all of Drago's forces had been rallied to Berk. That was why the ship had left without me. The question was, why hadn't it come back after Berk was conquered? Then I learned of Drago's defeat, the ultimate fall of the hunter army.. And that I had nowhere to go. For so long I had been a part of the hunters, a part of Drago's army that there was no where else I could go. All I knew was that the dragon riders were trying to hunt down the remnants of Drago's forces, so I needed to go into hiding.

So that is why I spent the next two months on this tiny island in the middle of nowhere. I had survived alone in the woods before many times before, and vastly preferred the silence to being around other people. If I had the choice, I would stay here happy and alone (with Aaron) for the rest of my days. Unfortunately for me, I had hunted the local population of wild animals into near extinction.

I gave Aaron a chin scratch. _ I know you get tired of just being around me all day. I can't really help it you know. _ I didn't have to talk to Aaron for him to understand me. To others, my face was always stone-cold, an expression I had adopted years ago. But Aaron, despite being pretty dim-witted in a lot of things, understood how I was feeling. I didn't have to use words, but really, I didn't talk much anyways. I hadn't said anything to Draco's men, and I felt no need to talk to myself when I was alone. I had learned long ago that it was always better to stay silent unless it was absolutely necessary to speak.

My stomach grumbled as I made it back to my little camp. I could go a few days without a bite, and had set up a little mechanism over the fire for removing salt from the sea water, so that was never an issue. Still, now that I had control over my life, I wanted something to eat.

_You know what Aaron? Maybe tomorrow we can leave this place and look for some place with some real food, hu boy?_ He didn't know what I was thinking, but he felt my worry, and licked my face to try to make me feel better. Jumping back, I tried to wipe his slobber off while giving him a disgusted look. _Maybe him being around other people and dragons will help him see the value in personal space_, I mused.

* * *

_**A/N**_

Please enjoy this fanfic. It was originally planned out a year ago, before Httyd 3 came out, but yes the story will follow canon.

The character Jakal Atlas, who will come up later, is owned by Ninjacolin2000. Used with permission.


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't think it would be safe to go anywhere we'd already been, so in my infinite wisdom I decided to head in a random direction. Just a tip for those out there trying to avoid other dragon riders: before you go someplace, make sure it is in the opposite direction of Berk.

I should have taken a hint when we saw other riders in the distance flying past with increasing regularity that maybe we were going in the wrong direction. But no, I didn't realize where in the archipelago we were until Berk in all of its glory appeared on the horizon. Despite being nearly destroyed in Drago's attack, it was already more grand and built-up than any other village I'd seen. Guess they had dragons to thank for that.

I was about to turn around when Aaron suddenly sped up. "Aaron!" I hollered, but he didn't stop. He was excited to see so many other dragons, and I hadn't trained him well enough to know what "Stop" meant. So I was stuck clinging frantically to his back until we landed in the village. I hopped off as he started a conversation with a couple nearby nadders.

Nervously I looked around at the imposing village. No one took notice of me, and most seemed to be engaged in business as usual. _Well, maybe I can take this as an opportunity to get some things taken care of. Besides, who would think that a young woman with a dragon would be a fugitive dragon-hunter?_ Surely at a trade center such as this hooded strangers in black armor couldn't be that much of an oddity.

* * *

An hour later I found myself in line at the forge. I had already purchased a few necessities that I was low on from the market, and now I was getting my favorite blade repaired. It seemed like a generic knife, but on its handle was carved the intricate pattern of a rose.

I was extremely nervous. After being alone for so long, it was hard to be around so many people and act like I belonged here. But no one had suspected anything so far, so perhaps I was worrying about nothing. I glanced over my shoulder. Behind me in line was a young man with a monstrous nightmare, a girl with braided brown hair carrying an axe, and a large man in a black cloak with a halberd.

I had been trying my best to not glance back like that very often, but I couldn't help it. _The more nervous you act, the more attention you draw to yourself. _ I got up to the counter and set my knife on the counter along with a couple coins. The blade had obviously come loose from the handle, so nothing needed to be said as a guy in his teens nodded and took the knife to the back. I went and leaned back against the side of the building, waiting for the repair to be made.

Hearing a squawk, I saw Aaron outside messing around. Almost giving in to a smile, I noticed that his saddle-bag was open. Walking quickly over with a frown, I glanced in to make sure nothing was missing, then I strapped it shut tightly.

I tensed as I felt someone tap my shoulder. I almost spun and knocked them to the ground, but you know, I was making an effort to restrain myself today. I turned around to see the young man from the line. He had a fur jacket and a tooth hung from a cord about his neck. "This your dragon?" He asked.

I nodded.

"He seems pretty young. Any idea how old he is?" I didn't answer him, but turned and walked back to the forge. Any normal person would take this as a clue that I didn't want to be talked to. "You know, I haven't seen you around these parts," he said, leaning against the wall. _Thor this guy is annoying_. I had to answer him at this point though. It might seem strange not to give him an answer at all.

"I haven't come this way before."

"Really?" He perked up briefly before he returned to trying to act cool. "Yeah, uh, maybe I should show you around then? Give you the ol' Tour de Berk?"

I faked a smile. "Sorry, I'm not staying long. I was going to head off this evening. I'm just stopping for supplies."

"Oh." I glanced around, and noticed that the man in the black cloak was staring at me; at least, I assumed he was through his leather mask. "Then maybe you could meet me in the great hall for dinner? So you can have something on your stomach before you head off."

I was about to refuse, but before I did, I realized that I hadn't had a decent meal in a while. If I was with someone, it wouldn't look strange to go to the Great Hall. "S-sure."

"Cool. What's your name?"

"What's your's?"

"Gustav Larson," he said with a clumsy bow.

"Jean," I said quickly in reply. The boy behind the counter called my number.

"Well, see you later Jean," Gustav turned to leave. I went and retrieved my knife. Before leaving the forge, I remembered the man in the cloak and looked to see if he was still there, but he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Overcoming my fear and walking into the Great Hall was what I assumed would be the hardest thing I'd do today. I didn't consider that sitting next to Gustav and listening to him prattle on and on would be almost worse than getting caught and executed. Luckily I had a little charade going. I would ask him a question about himself or his life, pretend to be interested in every detail while I scarfed down food, and not have to say hardly anything in response. The rest of the people in the hall moved as far away from us as they could, trying to avoid the boy's annoyingness, and therefore no one was interested in my business.

"So how did you meet Fanghook again?" I asked as I shoved a few more rolls into my bag for later. He went on to tell of a grand adventure with his "best friends" back when he was a kid as he was taught to ride, soon becoming a pivotal member of the Dragon Academy.

"I told you about Snotlout Jorgenson right? Once my mom sold me to him for a rock. He was really the one who helped me find Fanghook in the first place. I used to look up to him, but now I realize I don't need him. He may be the Chief's cousin and all.." I nearly coughed up what was in my mouth. "..but if there's one lesson he taught me, it's that I have to look out for primero uno."

Suddenly a woman with a gravelly voice called out, "Gustav! Get your pea-brained self over here, Hiccup called a meeting!"

I stole a tiny glance to see a strange woman with long, braided blond hair near the doors.

"I'll be there momentarily, Ruffnut!" He turned to me. "Hopefully we will see each other one day soon, my fairest Jean.."

"Gustav!" He jumped to his feet, and without another word he darted out of the hall with Fanghook.

_That was way too close_, I sighed, taking the final bite from a leg of mutton, preparing to get up and leave. Suddenly I saw a black-gloved hand slide across the table. "Excuse me miss, is this seat taken?" Without waiting for a response, who should sit down across from me but the man in the black cloak.

I didn't know who this person was, but everything in me wanted to run, to leave right this instant. However, I didn't want to cause a scene. I didn't say anything, just stared at him coldly.

"You aren't from around here, and I can tell you're like me in some ways, so I have a quick question to ask you," he spoke quietly.

_I doubt a bounty hunter would start a conversation like that._ I nodded, curious.

"Have you ever been to a town South of here called Atlas?" He snagged a role from my plate, lifting his mask just a bit to take a bite.

I swallowed. "Several times." On hunting missions in the area, I would sometimes stop there to trade advice with a couple of trappers.

"Recently?" He asked, leaning forward. His hand tightened into a fist, crushing what was left of the role.

I fingered my knife under the table. "About a year ago," I said coldly.

He sighed, leaning back. "Forgive me, nevermind then."

I let the blade fall back into its sheath on my belt, and allowed my posture to relax. This man certainly was strange, and for some reason it peaked my interest. "What's in Atlas?" I asked, leaning forward with my elbows on the table in a non-threatening manner. _Maybe he's from there and someone killed a friend of his, and he's out for revenge._

"Nothing but ashes and graves." He was silent for a moment. "Do you think you would recognize anyone from there if you saw them?"

"Probably not. I knew a few faces from a tavern, that's it."

He glanced to either side, but no one was paying attention to us. He carefully removed his leather mask, revealing a fairly normal face with bold features, topped with a few thick, dark brown curls. "Do you recognize me?"

_Why would I.. wait.. Crap!_ I did recognize him, and my day grew instantly worse. It was a distant memory, from several years ago, but I could still remember those ice-blue eyes filled with utter hatred.

"No."

His eyes narrowed as he stood, replacing his mask. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I'll see you around, I'm sure."

Then he left quickly, leaving me very confused.


	4. Chapter 4

The man's name was Jakal, Jakal Atlas. He used Atlas as his last name because when he'd woken up remembering nothing in the smouldering wreckage of a village, he'd adopted its name as his own.

He was strong, and knew how to fight. He had found a blood-stained halberd amongst the ashes, and for some reason he could wield it like it was nothing. Most other weapons came easily to him too, though he could not remember having ever touched them.

It had been a few months since then, and he'd spent every day trying to figure out what had happened and who he was. Nothing could come back to him, and so he traveled from place to place, trying to find anyone who might know why Atlas had been burnt to the ground, it's people killed, and if he belonged there or had simply been in the village when whatever happened happened. His search took time, because even since waking up in Atlas he had a deathly fear of flight, and had to use nautical forms of transportation. So far, he had figured out that only the rough, culpable, black-market sort of people had even heard of Atlas. He began to grow paranoid, wearing a mask. No matter who he asked, no one had the slightest clue what had happened to Atlas, and not a soul had ever recognized his face.

Until tonight.

This morning, he had arrived on Berk. He stopped at the forge to get his halberd sharpened when he saw the girl in black armor and a hood. Jakal could tell a lot about a person by the way they carried themself; he could tell that she was closed off and uncomfortable. Then she looked over her shoulder and their eyes met. He stiffened, looking straight back at her, not breathing until she had turned away. There was a large scar across her face, and a coldness in her eyes; she had done something she could not escape. There was a lot about her that reminded him of himself.

That evening, he had been watching her in the Mead Hall, the way she shoved food into her bag when she thought no one was watching. So when the annoying kid finally left, he took his chance to ask some questions. When she said she didn't recognize him, he knew she was lying. She was good at it too, but he could tell from the way she adjusted herself slightly, to the way her breath quickened, that she was hiding something. After not having found any answers for months he was desperate, but someone like this needed to be handled with care. She was likely a good fighter, and he wasn't looking to insight a conflict; he just needed answers out of her. Perhaps he could bait her in some way, get her alone on his terms.

As soon as he stepped out of the great hall, he took off his large bag. When he opened it up, a smothering smokebreath flew out and landed on his shoulder. It was missing one of its eyes. From the tree line came darting a speed-stinger. Just a couple of months ago the two had started following Jakal around, and he appreciated their company, especially in situations like this.

"Ventis, Tyr, keep an eye on that girl. Find out where she goes when she leaves the hall." Ventis, the smokebreath, flew up to a nearby tree branch, and Tyr hid amongst the underbrush. Like nothing had happened, Jakal slung his bag back onto his back and headed off through the village, a small smile hidden behind the mask.

* * *

I stayed in the Great Hall much later than I had intended to. At first I had wanted to make sure the man was gone, but my mind had quickly drifted off to other thoughts, memories I never wanted to resurface. The next thing I knew it was quite late, and the Hall was bare except for a few vikings who had had too much to drink. I hesitantly stood and walked out into the chilly air. Near the hall I found Aaron, almost asleep on the ground. He perked up when he saw me. I was wanting to leave tonight, but it seemed like _someone_ had tired themselves out. We'd have to leave early the next morning.

I led him into the woods a few minutes from the village, and he curled up on a soft patch of dirt. I was very uneasy; I felt like I was being watched. I didn't see anyone or anything, so I forced myself to not worry about it. _After some rest I will be thinking clearly. _I climbed a nearby tree, and fell asleep hidden by its branches.

As I drifted off, I was unaware that two small dragons crept closer through the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

I must have been more tired than I had expected, because when I woke up it was already mid-morning.

I leapt down from the tree and kicked Aaron with my foot. _Wake up sleepy-head, we need to leave before anyone realizes we're here!_ I removed my backpack and started to strap it the Aaron's saddle. Then I went to the saddle-bag and took out my quiver of arrows. I only held onto the necessities, so neither bag was very large. Mostly it was just tools, rope, a couple extra knives, and two small vials...

_...wait a minute._ I checked the bag again, but there was only _one_ vial, full of a green substance. Dragon nip extract. It could calm even the most aggressive reptiles. I had started carrying it on me a year ago, but the other vial was a more recent addition, and it was far more important. If someone found it and traced it back to me, it would not be good.

It couldn't have fallen out on its own. It was there the day before when I re-strapped the bag, which was closed just a second ago. Maybe Aaron had jostled around so much when he was playing it had still come out somehow..

I walked back out of the woods to where Aaron was waiting for me the night before, and began to scan the ground. About a minute into my hunt, I heard footsteps and looked up to see the cloaked man with a smothering smokebreath on his shoulder.

I nodded to him. "Nice to see you again." It wasn't.

"Looking for something?" He tilted his head ever so slightly.

"No," I said, crossing my arms and shifting my weight to one leg, growing very quickly concerned.

"I ask because yesterday I found something quite curious, and I'd love to know what it is." He pulled out the vial, which contained a purple liquid. "Miss Jean, would you happen to know anything about this? What it could be, what it is used for?" He glared at me. "What kind of a person could procure it? There are few substances in nature that have such a bright color."

I shook my head.

There was a pause. "Oh, well perhaps I should ask around town to see if anyone else knows what it is. I want to get it back to whoever it belongs to. You will tell me if you see anyone looking for a lost vial, won't you?"

Perhaps he hadn't tried to kill me yet because he couldn't remember what I looked like after a few years. Maybe he thought I was to blame for something completely different. _Or maybe he's a bounty hunter trying to lead you to your death. _ I had to get that vial back before leaving Berk.

He turned and walked back into the village.

I ran back into the woods to where Aaron was still half-asleep and grabbed my bow. "Come on, I need you to find someone for me!" By the time we were back outside the great hall he was long gone, but Aaron could still track his scent.

* * *

Jakal wandered around the village, examining the vial. He hadn't the slightest clue what the purple liquid was, but it wasn't anything good. If it truly was nothing bad, "Jean" would have asked for it back straight out. She struck him as the no-nonsense type. If she was so desperate to keep it a secret, it must be something special indeed.

He went into the stables, stepped into a clean stall, and sitting on a pile of rocks he pulled the vial back out. He opened it, hoping its smell would give him some clues.

At first he smelled nothing, then came a mix of images, full of bright color and sound. _Laughter in a crowded bar. Voices of people he couldn't remember. The feel of warm blood dripping down his arms. A field of flowers_.

He nearly vomited, so overcome he was by memories he couldn't place. One thing, however, had come before his mind as clear as day. Those flowers were more dangerous than the most deadly poison. He looked down at the vial in his hand. If this girl had gotten ahold of them…

* * *

Aaron managed to track the man's scent to the stables, all the way to an empty stall. But when I got there, there was no sign of him. _Great, _ I groaned; now I would have to go to even greater lengths to get my vial back.

They were called _folsense lilies_, and in the vial was a highly concentrated extract from the flowers. It was a gift I had received a few months ago, part of a tribute from some powerful trader. It was fairly common for Drago to receive such tributes from other powerful individuals, a sort of peace offering. While they usually consisted of gifts of men or equipment, they also included items for Drago's highly-ranked followers such as his top generals. I'd seen the extract's effects before as a tool in torture. It acted as a truth serum, but this was only one of its effects. It caused an increase in strength and endurance, like some of the drugs the Hysteria Tribe was known to take before a battle, except this was much worse. It drove its victim into a murderous rage, leading them to try to kill everyone in sight. It also caused considerable pain and distress, along with hallucinations. Once, Drago gave it to one of his strongest men just to see what would happen. The man killed himself. At the time, I was just glad he hadn't decided to test it on me.

With a sigh, I stepped out of the stall with the intent to leave, when I saw a poster nailed to the stable wall. After a quick glance to make sure no one was looking, I ripped it down, ran back into the stall and pressed my back up against the wall.

Wanted : Eva Bludvist

Alive

For illegal sale of captured dragons, dead and alive, and the murder of eleven vikings, including two Berkians.

Reward : 100 pieces

-Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, chief of Berk

Suddenly I heard voices, and hid behind the pile of rocks.

"I don't get it. Why are we flying all the way out to Defenders of the Wing when Heather can just send us a terror mail?"

"Because she has a top-secret message for us. Would you like me to send your diary by terror mail?"

I peeked out to see a Deadly Nadder and a monstrous nightmare fly out in a hurry. Checking once more to make sure the coast was clear, I shoved the poster in my bag, mounted Aaron and flew out of the stables and towards the woods.


	6. Chapter 6

By noon I'd decided that I wanted to kill him. If this man was going to go out of his way to get on my nerves, he sure deserved it. And if he happened to remember who I was, he'd probably try to get in my way anyways. Yes, killing him was the safest bet.

I'd do it tonight once it got dark. Then, I'd grab my vial and book it before someone could add another stain to my ledger.

I pulled out a couple of the rolls from the night before and found a rock to sit on. The forest was quiet, not a person in sight, so I took off my hood. Eating slowly with one hand, I ran the other through my hair. It was a light blond, cut fairly short. All other Viking women I'd seen had long hair, often braided or pulled back. Long hair was a sign of womanhood, or so I've heard. As for me, as far back as I could remember my hair had always been cut very short. It made for better maneuverability anyways, so I never had a reason to grow it out, assuming I would have been allowed to of course. I supposed Drago might have allowed it, but I was too scared to try anything out of the ordinary when I was near him.

My fingers drifted further down to the back of my neck, and I tensed. All this time, and whenever I touched the mark it still hurt. I wore the hood to cover it. If anyone caught a glimpse of the back neck, they'd know what I was. Even if that wasn't a concern, I still wouldn't show it off. No one needed to see it. Its message was meant for me more than for anyone else.

With a sigh, I pulled the hood back up and finished eating. As I did so, I pulled the wanted poster back out. Someone had drawn my face pretty well, down to the details. _Strange; I've never met any of the riders before, yet they draw me like they know me. _ It even had my scar drawn properly, as it ran from the center of my forehead down between my eyes and across my right cheek. I put it back away and sifting through my bag pulled out a black mask with a red horizontal stripe that ran beneath the eyes. I carefully fit it over my face. It had been a few weeks since I'd touched it, but it was still important. It made hunting - real hunting - easier, more focused.

* * *

Jakal had a lot of important things to be thinking about, but ever since he'd opened the vial he hadn't been able to think straight. His thoughts were as jumbled as the images he had seen, the blips of memory he could not piece together. All afternoon he had been feeling strange, and he knew it was a result of what was in the vial. As evening approached his mind seemed to strengthen itself out again.

He couldn't stand being around other people, especially not when he was like this. He found himself weaving between buildings into a quieter area. He ducked down several alleyways near the outskirts of town, when he caught sight of an old, worn paper tacked to the wall of a tavern. Pulling it from the wall to get a better look at it under the fading light, he was greeted by a familiar face.

So, the girl was a fugitive. With the way she was acting, he wasn't all that surprised. He did raise an eyebrow at how many people she'd killed, and that she was a _Bludvist._ He'd heard enough about the recent war to know how big of a deal that was. Then he saw the reward; it would be enough to pay his passage from island to island searching for answers many times over. This was, assuming _Eva_ couldn't tell him everything he needed to know.

* * *

I found the man from above, and watched him wander from alley to alley from Aaron's back as we flew gently over the village. Then the man seemed to stop behind a building at the edge of town. Flying close to the tree line, I caught ahold of the top of a tree as Aaron went back to circling overhead. Climbing down until I was about halfway up, I had a clear view of the cloaked thief, and what he was reading.

If he didn't know who I really was before, I guess he did now. I notched an arrow and pulled back; it would be so simple to let it go, ending it right here while he was busy examining my wanted poster. However, I could hear the sounds of laughter from inside the bar. There was a reasonable chance that someone might see something. _If I can lead him away from the village and into the woods, my job would be easier to get away with._ I adjusted my aim and released the arrow, and it tore the wanted poster from the man's hands pinning what was left of it to the ground.

He turned, quickly spotting me up in the tree. He walked over to the tree's base, stopping for a moment. Then, he simply kept walking into the woods like I wasn't there. After a minute I climbed down and followed, aware that I may be walking into a trap I had originally set for him.

* * *

Jakal knew exactly what he was doing. He began to head uphill, and the trees grew ever thicker the higher he went, completely aware that the girl was following him. He tapped on his backpack, opening it slightly. At his signal, Ventis began releasing a cloud of smoke from the back of the bag, limiting visibility in the already increasing darkness.

It really was a shame that she was wanted _Alive_, but he would have to make do.

If he couldn't get answers out of her, then well, the Chief's house was at the top of the hill.


	7. Chapter 7

I was tired of being led on through the woods like this. We were already far enough from the village. Peering up through the branches, I caught sight of Aaron flying overhead, watching me. I pointed ahead to the man I was following. A few seconds later he came crashing through the branches right in front of the cloaked man, spines erect and teeth bared, keeping him from going any further.

The man unswung his halberd, turning to face me. "Nice mask. Who else knows who you really are?"

I shrugged slightly, tense, tightly gripping my bow.

Pulling out the vial, he spoke loudly, his voice laced with anger, quite different from the quiet, patient way in which he had spoken in the Great Hall. "The fields on Atlas were burned, I saw them myself. The flowers did not grow anywhere else. So how did you get ahold of them?" He pointed the halberd at my neck, lessening the distance between us.

I didn't step back. I didn't answer him. Instead I quickly pulled an arrow back, aiming at his smug little mask.

He actually chuckled, before stepping forward, swinging his Halberd at my neck.

I ducked and shot the arrow, but it went in at an angle, mostly caught up in his cloak. Before I could do anything else he swung again, and this time I rolled to the side, notching another arrow.

Meanwhile, his smothering smokebreath blew a large cloud of smoke in Aaron's face, leaving him unable to fight back. While I was notching the arrow, I suddenly saw my Nadder fall to the ground. To its side appeared a speedstinger out of the smoke. This guy seriously has two dragons? I could stand my ground against him and a smokebreath, but not the three of them together, especially not if one of them was a speedstinger.

He held his Halberd to my incapacitated dragons' throat. Even if he had dragons of his own, I didn't doubt that he would kill Aaron without a moment's hesitation. "Do you feel any more inclined to answer my questions now, Eva?"

I hated this. I hated every bit of this. A year ago I wouldn't even be tempted to step up in protection of a dragon. Even now, I still was no dragon-lover. But Aaron had saved my life, dove in and almost died for me for no reason whatsoever. This was a question of honor. I slowly lowered my bow.

"Drop the bow and arrows, then tell me where you got the vial."

I dropped my bow, then slung off my quiver and dropped it as well. "I got it from a trader several months ago who was in business with my.. with Drago. It was part of a tribute gift."

He shook his head. "Do you think you can just play around with something this dangerous?!" he raged. "Do you have any idea what this stuff does to people?"

I crossed my arms, scared but not backing away from the man's rage. "W-well I certainly didn't tell you to go and mess with it. Don't think I don't know what it does. There was a reason I didn't show it off."

The man was breathing heavy, his fists clenched. "I could see it in your eyes. You recognize me from somewhere. Where?"

"I have never seen you before in my life."

"Don't lie to me!" He nearly screamed. "You followed me into the woods for a reason. What was it you were hoping to accomplish?"

He was making me angry, which strangely helped to calm my nerves. "I only followed you out here because _you_ stole something from _me_!"

I heard the sound of something breaking. The man looked down at his fist and slowly opened it. In his hand I saw blood, broken glass, and a purple liquid. His eyes went wide, and for the first time I saw fear in them.


	8. Chapter 8

Panic ran through Jakal's mind. He didn't even realize the vial was still in his hand. He had been so angered by the girl... She just stood there, watching glass and blood drip from his hand. If he was going to hurt her, he was going to do so with a sound mind. He wasn't going to allow a drug to make that decision for him. "Get out of here _now!_" He shouted.

A strange haze was beginning to cloud his mind.

* * *

Without a second thought I turned and bolted, leaving my bow and arrows behind. I didn't look back, knowing that I had to get as far away from him as fast as possible.

Soon I heard him running after me. I ducked under a tree branch just as a knife was embedded into the wood. There would be nothing I could do if he caught up with me. No matter what I could say, he would kill me. The drug affected everyone differently, but there was no controlling its haze of aggression.

His footsteps pounded behind me. He was catching up. Another knife flew just past my head.

I kept running, quickly tiring out. While I could normally outrun just about anyone, he was faster, with not only his own strength but also that of the extract. Still, I kept on, ignoring bruises and scrapes from branches, leaping over boulders and taking as rough of a path as I could.

I briefly lost him in the thick forest. Not stopping, I turned, trying to somehow loop back to where Aaron and my weapon were. Speedstinger venom didn't last as long for dragons, so with any luck we could get out of here.

After a minute I began to slow my speed, thankful that he hadn't caught up to me by now. _I guess he doesn't realize I've turned back around_. If my sense of direction was correct, I was close to where I'd started. Suddenly I heard another blade whizz by. Turning to see where my hunter was, I tripped over a log.

Scrambling to my feet, I heard several pounding footsteps; then the halberd swung right next to me, hitting a tree and almost felling it. The man's cloak was gone, torn off somehow as he ran after me. Beneath it was thick armor covered in dragon scales. His mask had come off too, but I could not see in his face.

Then the air filled with a thick cloud of smoke. Squinting my eyes, I saw his smothering smokebreath making it so that he could hardly see. While he swatted at the small dragon, I took the opportunity to get out of there, but when I tried to bolt, pain shot up from my ankle. It was pain, but nothing I couldn't handle. I spotted my weapons on the ground a few yards away. Limping over to them, I began to strap on my quiver, when I saw the man staggering towards me unnaturally, the smokebreath nowhere in sight. He pulled out another knife, forgetting about his halberd. I could hardly spot his form against the darkness. Then something darted out from the trees, running behind the man's legs. After several seconds, I realized his speedstinger was stinging him at the back of his knees, where his armor was thinnest. _Why would his dragons try to protect me from him?_ Despite the small dragon's efforts, he wasn't stopping, strangely unaffected by what would normally paralyze a person.

But then the man stopped, and his eyes were no longer focused on me. He just stared blankly straight ahead. Hiding behind a tree, I realized I couldn't run very quickly like this, so I turned and climbed; it would be easier to defend myself from up above. It is very difficult to climb a tree with a messed up ankle, but it was easier than trying to run.

The smoke had begun to clear; the man still hadn't moved, but his whole body was clenched, a look of horror on his face. The worst part of the extract was the hallucinations. They could make someone relive a horrible experience. The worse someone's past was, the harder the hallucinations were. I almost felt pity, seeing him in such a state. _He did this to himself. _ _He deserves this._

He wasn't focused on me, and from my new vantage point I had the perfect shot. I notched an arrow and pulled back on the bowstring. There he was down below, oblivious to my actions. This was almost too easy. But before I loosed the arrow, something came flooding back from the depths of my mind.

_A hideous zippleback flew overhead. I was about to ignore it when I saw the strap of a saddle. Dragon Rider. There was nothing more detestable, and though I'd seen very few of them, they'd caused enough of my problems. If they hadn't have made things more difficult for the hunters, I never would have been sold to Drago. From the edge of a cliff, I quickly shot a dragon-root arrow at the zippleback, and after a few seconds I saw it begin to fall. With a smile, I prepared to signal the hunter ship. I'd be rewarded nicely for this. But then, I saw the rider fall from the dragon's back, hurtling towards the Earth._

I pushed the memory aside. This man had stolen from me, delayed my departure from Berk, and tried to kill me, and even if the last one was inadvertent he'd also wasted my folsense extract. A little memory was not going to change that. It was time to end this.

_The girl had dark brown curls. I watched her broken body hit the ground, twisting into an unnatural shape. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. A young man came running down the slope, lifting the young girl into his arms. After a moment, he looked up to see me standing at the edge of the cliff. His eyes bore straight through me._

I aimed for the man's head, trying to shoot, but whenever I looked at him, all I could see was his sister and her bloody curls.

* * *

**A/N**

so I noticed that there are over twice as many views on chapter 7 than chapter 6. If you haven't read that one (I think FanFiction failed to report its updating) please go back and read it. It may not be the most integral chapter but it has important details.


	9. Chapter 9

Jakal was no longer in the forest. Instead, he was standing in the middle of a field. A field of purple flowers. A field of burning purple flowers. In one hand was his Halberd, in the other a burning torch. He saw men of Atlas running up the slope towards him. These were not the gentle people like there were in most villages. These were savage killers, people who would do anything for a few coins. Men who kept and sold slaves, both human and dragon. He was running towards them. When he reached the mob he swung and slashed, bathing the field in their blood. He couldn't hear their screams; he had plugged his ears.

He went down into the village, setting it aflame. So many tried to stop him, but they all failed. Families burned in their homes. Children were run down in the streets. Jakal was covered in both his blood and that of these enemies. He could barely continue on, but he had to kill them all. It was a matter of pride; this people had to be wiped out, and he was going to finish the job. A dragon bound by chains fired a blast of flame at him, nearly destroying his shoulder. He threw two daggers, one down the dragon's throat, one into the head of its master. He could no longer move his arm, and dropping the torch he threw himself into an oncoming mass of people.

There was nothing left for him. He had lost all he cared about long ago. He continued to rip through the crowd. Another enslaved dragon, a triple-strike grabbed his leg, flying him high above the burning village. Jakal swung his Halberd and cut off one of its legs. With a screech it dropped him, then he was falling, down into the burning village, knowing he would die without a regret in his heart.

Then he blinked, and once more he was in the forest. Beginning to comprehend what he had seen, he screamed, a blood-curdling scream.

* * *

The man would shout things out as he stood there, reliving some kind of terror, yelling things such as "No!" or "I wouldn't kill them!" It went on for quite a while. After he screamed, he ran off deeper into the forest. Putting my arrow back in my quiver, I carefully climbed down from the tree. My ankle wasn't sprained too badly, thankfully. It was a little swollen, but I could still walk on it. Aaron was still knocked out, so I wouldn't be leaving this place for a little while yet.

After checking on him, I looked off in the direction the man had run. I grabbed my bag and began to head in his direction. If I couldn't kill him, then at least I could make sure he wasn't going to tell anyone about me.

I found him after a little while, passed out against a tree. Stepping forward, two small dragons darted in front of him, his speed stinger and his smokebreath. It was clear they weren't going to let me hurt their master. Lucky for them, that wasn't my intention. I turned and went off into the woods. I came back a little later with a rabbit and a squirrel. A few feet away from the man, as close as his dragons would let me get, I started to build a fire.

By and by the sun began to rise, and the small animals were cooking over the fire. It was light enough to see, but still too dark to clearly see the man's form as he slept against the tree. I took off my hood, facing the man with the fire between us.

"I'm not going to move, so you might as well leave." I looked up to see him staring at me. I wondered how long he had been awake, since he hadn't moved an inch.

"You should come eat something." He needed to replenish his strength. He should be starving after being drained by the extract's effects. He didn't answer though, neither did he move.

"What did you remember?" I asked.

He was silent for a moment before he answered. "I saw the monster who burned Atlas to the ground, and why he did it." There was a pause. "He killed everyone. He left nothing but ashes and bones."

Hadn't Atlas been the town he'd asked me about in the great hall? "Why was Atlas destroyed?"

"It was a hothead of criminal activity. The town was a hub of smuggling, thievery, and prostitiution. It was also deeply involved in the slave trade. And, it was the only place folsense lilies could be grown.. at least, I assumed so until you showed up."

All of this was something I knew. I'd been there before. Still, there were families there, and Atlas wasn't the only village so deeply rooted in evil. "But.. why was it burned to the ground?"

"What alternative was there? When human corruption runs so deep, what other solution exists?"

_Why is he.. defending this? Is he the person who destroyed it? _Every sign seemed to point to him. If he remembered this destruction, and the killer left no one alive.. _But why_?

"The monster had nothing to lose. Something had driven him to become someone capable of slaughtering so many. There are still a lot of things that I can't remember. One of those things is what exactly was taken from him, and who took it."

I nodded.

He finally scooted closer to the fire, taking off his gloves. He carefully pulled out the shards of glass from his injured hand. They didn't seem to have damaged anything important, but he wouldn't be using it for a while. Carefully putting the glove back over his injured hand, he reached out his good hand towards the fire. Suddenly he winced.

"You.. You have a.." He reached down to his side. There was the arrow I'd shot at him when he first tried to confront me. It seemed to be stuck into his armor. He yanked it out. There was blood on the tip, but he strangely didn't give it mind as he offered me the arrow back. After a couple of seconds I quickly grabbed it, setting it in my lap. "You know, despite you trying to kill me, I never got your name."

"Jakal Atlas." _He named himself after the town he destroyed? _"So now you know about me, what's your story?"

I sighed. "I was with the hunters, raised by them actually.. but they don't really exist anymore. Now I'm just trying to survive." I pulled my hood back over my head.

"Why didn't you try to kill me?"

What could I say? What _should_ I say? "There is a difference between needing to kill someone, and wanting to kill someone." _Hadn't I wanted to kill the girl? I chose to shoot the zippleback down. I hadn't been ordered to._

Jakal stood up. "I'm not hungry. Thank you for the fire." He turned to go.

"W-wait. Can I have assurance that you won't say anything about me?"

He stopped. "People like us have to stick together, do we not?" He left, going back the way we had come, his two dragons following him. I continued to sit in front of the fire for a while. When I saw the sun peek out from between the branches I went back to Aaron. He was awake now, and when he saw me he almost knocked me over with glee to see that I was alright. "Hey buddy, I brought you a rabbit!" We both ate breakfast in silence, then I mounted and we flew off. Finally we were leaving Berk, and if I had my way, we were never going back.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a beautiful day on Berk. The sun was shining, terrible terrors were singing, and three dragons flew overhead, a deadly nadder, a monstrous nightmare, and a razorwhip. The three touched down outside the great hall, their riders dismounting and entering the hall.

Hiccup Haddock was chief of Berk. Things were very hard for him, because not only did he have to step into the difficult role of Chief, he also had to do so without his father there to guide him. But even though he was new to the whole "being chief" thing, he had help. Gobber, both his mentor and his father's friend, had helped him to move into his new responsibilities, as the man had assisted his father many times over the years. He would probably continue to help Hiccup in the years to come. Hiccup also had his friends' help… well, most of the time. Astrid and Fishlegs were always there for him, but Snotlout's helpfulness depended on his mood, and the twins generally caused more trouble than they fixed. Eret was a big help when it came to what remained of the Dragon hunters; because he was a trapper for many years, he was able to convince others to change sides, give up their evil ways, and learn to respect the dragons they had hurt for so many years.

Unfortunately, not all of the hunters were willing to change their ways. Most could be made to see reason, and with the fall of Bludvist's empire, the dragon industry had lost much of its profit. Some, however, were so stuck in their ways that nothing could be done. Many had been tracked down and imprisoned on Outcast Island, but rumor had it some of the hunters were trying to regroup.

Some of these enemies weren't simply dragon hunters, but criminals in other ways. Some of Draco's forces were assassins or pillagers who had amassed many enemies over the years. As chief, it was now Hiccup's responsibility to work with his allies to ensure the guilty parties were brought to justice. Particularly irksome was the existence of Draco's daughter. She'd killed several Berkians amongst her other victims, and even though she hadn't been spotted in several months, she was a dangerous adversary no doubt intent on avenging her father's death, which had been attributed to him (even though he had tried to spare Draco's life, and the Warlord had essentially caused his own demise).

Yesterday he had been contacted by Heather, sister of the Berserker Chief, saying she had an urgent message for him on Defenders of the Wing too sensitive to send by Terror Mail. He'd sent Snotlout, his cousin, and Astrid, his betrothed, to retrieve it.

Heather and her Razorwhip Windshear entered the great hall first, followed by Astrid and Snotlout and their dragons. Hiccup rose to greet them, having stayed up all night in the hall awaiting their return.

"Hiccup, long time no see."

"So what is this urgent message?"

She looked around the hall. They were alone. "Defenders of the Wing caught a hunter spy just off their coast. The spy ended his life before they could learn anything, but they found this." She pulled a small knife out of her satchel and handed it to the chief. On the handle was carved a pattern made of roses. "They found this on the spy. I've seen this kind of blade before, when I recovered a hunter ship last month. This isn't an ordinary knife. These were only made for Draco's top generals and assassins."

Hiccup held his chin in concern. "What about the spy, where was his ship headed?"

Astrid shrugged. "We don't know. But this may be proof that Draco's supporters are up to something."

* * *

This news concerned Hiccup greatly. After the meeting was over, he went for a flight over the woods of Berk.

"What do you think about all of this Toothless?" Toothless warbled in response. "I already defeated Draco, why do the hunters think they…" They suddenly flew over a patch of wood where the branches had been broken large enough for a dragon to fit down between the trees.

"Woah, Bud," He slowed Toothless down and they circled the broken spot. "Do you think we should check that out?" They carefully flew down between the branches and Hiccup peered through the darker patch of the wood. He quickly spotted a tree that had a large gash in its side. He walked forward and touched the large cut, when what was left of the wood gave way and the tree fell. Hiccup stepped back out of the way and glanced around; he realized he was at the sight of a fight. Several trees had had knives hit them, the underbrush had been torn up some, and on the grass he saw several drops of dried blood.

_But how?_ He thought. _This doesn't look like someone's training session, but how could a fight have taken place here? Who was in the fight? Why did no one know about this?_

He took another step back and his boot brushed up against something hard. He leaned down and saw a few pieces of broken glass covered in blood and a strange purple liquid, both of which had dried onto the shards.


End file.
